fresh herbs...

jerber160

I've only just started picking fresh sage, parsley and basil, very small amounts, and adding them to salads. I'm kinda stunned at the difference they make. I don't remember my mom ever doing this. gnom gnom gnom... sadly, my oregano isn't doing well, but I did get to add it to some pizza today..

meshashesha2012

check out thyme (kind of lemony and delicious with eggs!). also you might want to check out a spice shop in your area as they will sometimes have lots of ideas and new yummy spices and herbs to try :happy:

and if you really want to have your mind blown, make some simple sugar but infuse it with fresh mint and lavendar. it's SO GOOD in iced tea!

jerber160

I didn't think to plant thyme.. I pretty much only use it when I make bahamian rice and peas... and not that often now that I'm dieting. my one sage bush is freaking huge, but my basil isn't doing so well. (like the oregano).. I'm not a minty kind of guy.. I have friends who would break your leg for a mojito, but I'm not one of them... thanks hon.. if I see thyme at the store I'll pick some up.. you put it in omelets?

SnuggleSmacks

Basil grows like crazy here, and my beloved and I have a ton of it. I'm trying to get in the habit of chopping some up for everything I cook.

Mariachicat

The herbs, red onion, and gorgonzola I put into my salads make them rock.

Mangopickle

Thyme like chives super easy to grow in a window box. Just stir up dirt with fingers and pat in the seeds. Lavender and rosemary also great on the patio. Basil needs lots of sun and water and usually good dirt. All the rest grow great in crap dirt because they are weeds in Europe growing beside the road. Thyme is a key ingredient in Herbes de Provence and bouquet garni. 2 seasoning blends used all over France on pretty much everything. Thyme is great in salads, in fact it is the key herb that is used to season....Croutons!! Unlike rosemary and sage it does not dominate but enhances every food like salt and pepper. Broiled salmon, roast chicken , beef stew are fabulous with fresh thyme. Unless you live somewhere super cold in the winter you can pick it all year round. Dried thyme is far more potent and a pinch goes a long way

jerber160

hmmm window box there's a thought...

avskk

Try some edible flowers next. Borage (actually, the leaves cook up nicely too), nasturtiums, violets, marigolds, dandelion, daylilies, geraniums... They make salads gorgeous and have such delicate flavors.

La5Vega5Girl

basil is so good, esp with lemon!

RodaRose

Rosemary grows easily in some parts of the country and packs a lot of flavor.

LAMCDylan

I grow lavender, basil, sage, rosemary, mint, oregano, anise hyssop, lemon verbena, and sometimes dill. Remember, the oregano prefers Mediterranean-like growing conditions. Make sure it has lots of sun and do not over water.

jerber160

avskk wrote: »

Try some edible flowers next. Borage (actually, the leaves cook up nicely too), nasturtiums, violets, marigolds, dandelion, daylilies, geraniums... They make salads gorgeous and have such delicate flavors.

you know I plant hibiscus every year... and have a few HUGE perennials that come up but have yet to eat them.. or make tea with them

jerber160

and today seems like a great day for stuffed shells. i WISH i could go out back and grab a handful of parsley to toss in..

samantha1242

Fresh rosemary is my favourite. Great to top chicken and other meats or on pizza (& in the dough).

candacefausset

I have always used dried herbs and spices ever since I started cooking as a teen. The world of flavor without tons of fat and salt has truly opened up since I started using fresh. Last night I added cilantro and lime juice to rice and it was awesome. One of my current favorites is green onions in eggs. Amazing flavor profile. I also added fresh basil to my feta and spinach stuffed chicken a couple nights ago. I think I am going to try a small herb garden this spring. Because if you buy at the store it can get pricey and you have to use them quickly. Since I am just now learning about them I don't use them as quickly yet and I don't want to waste them.

jerber160

candacefausset wrote: »

I have always used dried herbs and spices ever since I started cooking as a teen. The world of flavor without tons of fat and salt has truly opened up since I started using fresh. Last night I added cilantro and lime juice to rice and it was awesome. One of my current favorites is green onions in eggs. Amazing flavor profile. I also added fresh basil to my feta and spinach stuffed chicken a couple nights ago. I think I am going to try a small herb garden this spring. Because if you buy at the store it can get pricey and you have to use them quickly. Since I am just now learning about them I don't use them as quickly yet and I don't want to waste them.

I plant a few. I'm not good at it tho... I planted sage last year for the first time. one bush. I expanded and overshadowed everything around it.. delicious... but I gotta learn about spacing plants...

JP_909

Fresh Maryjane is great year round

bkerr30

I use thyme in tons of stuff...pretty much every soup or stew I make has it. I also really like dill (so does my cat lol) I use dill with fish, chicken, in salads, sauces. Tarragon is one that most people don't think of but has a really nice licorice flavour (kinda like fennel) it is popular in French cuisine. Some girls keep flowers all over their house. Me? Its pots of fresh herbs lol

jerber160

JP_909 wrote: »

Fresh Maryjane is great year round

you'd think that would be contradictory to someone trying to lose weight.

zoodocgirl

If you like parsley in your salads, start buying carrots with the green tops on and wash and chop those. They taste like superpowered parsley and are amazing in salads and made into pesto.

jerber160

really?

Notreadytoquit

I wasted a lot of $$ on store bought herbs last winter. Finally got smart and freeze iextra in an ice cube tray with coconut oil, EVOO, or water. Crack them out and wrap in wax paper. Keep them frozen in mason jar until ready to use. Same with pesto, mixed chilies, flavored butters.

This year we planted parsley, bay, sage, rosemary, mint, oregano, walking onions (from my grandma) & a very flavorful variety of celery in pots of compost. Keeping them on back porch with minimal heat over the winter. Nice to not have to trudge to garden in snow/ice.

Need2Exerc1se

This post reminded me of last summer when I had basil going crazy (planting near tomatoes can really help it grow) and included some leaves in a bag of salad greens I gave a friend. He asked what kind of spinach that was that tasted so strong.

Thyme is super easy to grow and delicious on poultry or orange vegetables IMO. I've had a pot of thyme that has been growing for 5 years with only watering during dry spells. It's been out through winters with deep snow that completely filled the pot, temperatures from -10 to 100. It seems invincible.